Our first attempt at cider making.
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:34 pmWe made cider for the first time ever about three years ago now and so I ticked off another one of my lifetime ambitions.
We beg stole and borrowed apples from wherever we could and made about twenty gallons.
Here is a pictorial guide of what went on over two weekends. REALLY GOOD FUN
We even got Granny Bodger on the left to sort the apples.
The small cylindrical press held 12 litres of what the professionals call cheese which is really squished apples to us novices and cost �70.
This was more than adequate but the bigger one was made by my mate from plans that we got from Downsizer.
Even this small press churned out plenty of juice for our size of operation
We put the chopped apples through a borrowed garden shredder.
The press that Bodgers Mate made worked well but there will be modifications for next season.
Not the finished article but a few months on its now perfectly clear.
The good news ! If we can do it anybody can ! The bad news is that after making 20 gallons of the stuff, I have a sneaky feeling that this stuff is responsible for giving me gout !
We even toyed with the idea of having our own label. Dillusions of grandeur or what ?
As a footnote, we have just finished off the last of the cider and whether it was beginners luck or not ? I don't know but it was delicious. We will be making a larger amount this year on the strength of the previous result
We beg stole and borrowed apples from wherever we could and made about twenty gallons.
Here is a pictorial guide of what went on over two weekends. REALLY GOOD FUN
We even got Granny Bodger on the left to sort the apples.
The small cylindrical press held 12 litres of what the professionals call cheese which is really squished apples to us novices and cost �70.
This was more than adequate but the bigger one was made by my mate from plans that we got from Downsizer.
Even this small press churned out plenty of juice for our size of operation
We put the chopped apples through a borrowed garden shredder.
The press that Bodgers Mate made worked well but there will be modifications for next season.
Not the finished article but a few months on its now perfectly clear.
The good news ! If we can do it anybody can ! The bad news is that after making 20 gallons of the stuff, I have a sneaky feeling that this stuff is responsible for giving me gout !
We even toyed with the idea of having our own label. Dillusions of grandeur or what ?
As a footnote, we have just finished off the last of the cider and whether it was beginners luck or not ? I don't know but it was delicious. We will be making a larger amount this year on the strength of the previous result
